Machine for rounding and channeling soles



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Z. T. FRENCH & W. 0. MEYER. MACHINE FOR ROUNDING AND GHANNELING sows.

No. 546,852. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Z. T. FRENCH & W. G. MEYER. MAGHINE FOR ROUNDING. AND GHANNELING SOLES.

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IlNrrEn STATES FATENT Orrioe.

ZAOHARY T. FRENCH AND WILLIAM C. MEYER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR ROUNDING AND CHANNELING SOLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,852, dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed May 26, 1394.

To aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that we, ZAOHARY T. FRENC and WILLIAM C. IVIEYER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Rounding and Channeling Soles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel machine for rounding soles while temporarily attached to the inner sole and upper surrounding a last, our machine at the same time, if desired, being capable of cutting a channel in the outer sole, the upper of the shoe where it contacts with the last serving as a gage-surface to determine the contour both of the edge of the outer sole and of the channel.

In accordance with our invention a lasted shoe having an outer sole temporarily secured to it is put onto the machine, the sole being supported near its edge on a feed-wheel and, preferably, also at or near its median line on a supporting-wheel, and the welt of the shoe has bearing upon ita welt-feeding wheel, the periphery of the latter entering the space between the welt and upper.

In our invention the welt and sole are pinched positively between feeding-surfaces, and the shoe is thus fed positively, the outer sole, during the movement of the shoe, being acted upon by a reciprocating rounding-knife, which is made to rise and fall in unison with the welt-feeding wheel according to variations in the thickness of the sole being rounded.

In our invention the Welt-feeding wheel is sustained by a rest, which leaves the space under said wheel free for the entrance and movement of the surplus material of the sole as the latter is rotated during the rounding operation, as will be described.

The machine shown also has a channelknife, the cutting-edge of which overlaps the feed-wheel.

Figure 1, in side elevation, represents a sufficient portion of a machine embodying our invention to enable the same to be understood; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig.3, an enlarged detail showing the channel-knife and the holder Serial No. 512,579- (No model.)

A, rotated in any usual or suitable manner.

The shaft A has a gear B, which engages a gear B fast on a shaft B having its bearings in a yoke B pivoted at B, a spring B bearing on said yoke to normally keep the welt-feeding wheel O, to be described, seated on the welt of the shoe. This frame may be lifted whenever desired by the link B lever B and rod E the latter in practice being jointed to a suitable treadle (not shown) located at the foot of the column or in suitable position to be handily reached by the foot of the operator. The yoke B at its forward end, has connected to it at one side by a suitable screw U as shown in the detail, Fig. 6, a support C, (shown separately in Figs. 4 and 5,) said support having an annular projectionor shelf O herein represented as occupying an inclined position and as having a central opening adapted to receive through it a beveled gear 0, (see Figs. eand 5,) connected to the central part of the welt-feeder C.

The beveled gear 0 in practice is secured to the central hub c of the welt-feeder, a portion 0 of said hub extending in the opposite direction and entering a circular recess formed in an arm D secured to the forward end of the yoke B by a suitable bolt or device D. In practice the bolt D is also passed through a projection D which is extended laterally and receives through it a link D pivoted at D to the slide D adjusting-nuts D D threaded on said rod D and located at the lower and upper sides, respectively, of the said projection D by their rotation regulating the distance between the rounding-knife and the shelf C before referred to, in order that the point of the rounding-knife when in operation may enter the throat c in the said yoke. V

The shaft B at its forward end has a beveled gear d, which en gages the beveled gear 0, before referred to, extended down through the open center of the inclined shelf and by recessing the under side of the welt-feeder to receive the shelf and allowing the beveled gear a to extend through a hollow openingin said shelf it is possible to bring the said weltfeeder and its actuating-gearing in such compact relation one to the other as to leave a clear open space between the edge of the weltl'eeder and the gear (1 to enable the marginal edges of the sole-blank which are to be cut off during the rounding operation to enter said space.

It will be remembered in practice that the toe end of the sole-blank has two corners, and out of that end and inside of the corners the rounded toe end of the sole must be cut,leaving the corners as waste, and without ample space is provided to let these corners turn under the welt-feeding wheel the rounding-knife could not cut into the sole sufficiently distant from the square corners to cut the leather and leave a round-cornered toe.

Another most important advantage resulting from the use of the shelf (J at the under side of the rotating welt-feeder is that it prevents the contact of any part of the outer sole with the said welt-feeder and also with the gear 0 thereof, and, further, the edge of the shelf between its throat and the welt-feeder, by resting close to and just above the top of the welt near its outer edge, keeps the welt at the proper level to be correctly and squarely cut off by the rounding-knife.

The slide D at its lower end has a hollow hub D, which constitutes a bearing for a shaft D upon which is fixed a belt-wheel D the said shaft at its front end having an eccentric D, which entersa circular opening at the lower end of the carrier E for the rounding-knife e, said knife being made adjustable it. suitable ways at the upper end of said carrier and being held in place in said ways, one of said ways 0 being made adjustable, so as to clamp the blade and hold itin adjusted position. The carrier E is slotted, as at e so that said carrier may be reciprocated by the eccentric D The slot e receives a loose block a (partially shown in Fig. 2,) said block being held in place by a suitable bolt e the block simply acting as a swiveling fulcrum. The slide D also has an ear D which supports a sheave D and the fixed framework has ears F, which support a stud on which rotates a third belt Wheel or sheave F, a belt F driven from some suitable source, passing over the pulleys F, D and D the said belt rotating the pulley D and actuating the rounding-knife, so that it, by its acting edge, which is exposed and shown best in Figs. 1 and 3, is made to rise and fall, so as to out through the outer sole with a draw cut, the upper end of said knife, in the form in which we have herein illustrated our invention, moving in a somewhat elliptical path. By adding to the slide the pulley D, so that it moves up and down therewith and with the pulley D, it is possible to cause the driving-belt F to always drive the wheel D uniformly, notwithstanding the varying height of the slide D The stationary framework has a stud-screw f, which constitutes the fulcrum for the lever f, attached by link f to a stud f fixed to a carriage f represented in Fig. 2 as having a dove-tailed foot, and adapted to slide in the guideway f forming part of the framework, a suitable shim f being interposed between the carriage and the guideway to compensate for wear.

The carriage f supports a short shaft g, which supports the feed-wheel g and the supporting-wheel 9 said shaft at its opposite or inner end having a pinion 2, (see Fig. 1,) which is engaged and rotated by a longer intermediate pinion 3, mounted upon a suitable stud 4, connected to carriage f by screw 40, (see Fig. 1,) said intermediate pinion in turn being engaged and rotated by a pinion 5 fixed to one end of the rotating shaft A said shaft A thus being the driver for the shaft g, having the feeding-wheel.

The front end of the carriagef has attached to it by suitable screws 6 a holder it, having an outwardlyprojecting conical portion or seat h, which is partially embraced and covere-d by the feed-wheel g, as represented in Fig. 1. This holder serves as a carrier for the channel-knife 8, which is fixed to a shouldered portion of the holder by a screw h represented in Fig. 3, said holder, channel-knife, and wheel being substantially such as represented in our application, Serial No. 495,401, filed January 2, 1894, the acting or cutting edge of said channel-knife overhanging the feed-wheel g.

By the employment of the machine herein described it is possible to not only round the outer sole, but also at the same time to channel the outer sole at a uniform distance from its edge about its fore part and to cut the channel farther in from its edge along the shank of the shoe, or to cut the channel at any desired distance from the edge, that being determined through the rod m, connected in practice with a suitable treadle, said rod being joined to the elbow-lever f hereinbefore described, so that the carriage f may be moved longitudinally toward and from the rounding-knife e, the feed-wheel g moving laterally in unison with the channel-knife.

It will be obvious that our machine may be used only for rounding the sole if desired, the channel knife being removed, or if desired the rounding-knife may be removed and the machine employed for channeling; but the machine with the two knives possesses great advantages, inasmuch as both these operations may be performed simultaneously and with great precision, leaving a smooth edge for the outer sole and leaving the welt and edge of the outer sole one exactly above the other and square.

IIO

' The knife-holder h (see Fig. 3) is provided with a cam 10, against which bears the lower end of the shank of the channel-knife 8, and by rotating said cam while the set-screw for fastening the said channel-knife is loosened the said knife may be adjusted, and so also said cam enables the operator to put a knife back quickly into the machine, so that it will occupy just the position that it did occupy when removed.

Viewing Fig. 4. it will be seen that the portion of the welt-feeding wheel which bears on the welt is scored or toothed diagonally to its center. of rotation rather than radially to said center, as commonly practiced. These diagonal teeth Fig. 4, aid very materially in drawing the welt into the space between the welt-feeding wheeland the feed-wheel on which the outer sole rests, and we have also scored or toothed the latter feed-wheel at an angle to its center of rotation, as shown in Fig. 1.

This invention is not limited to the exact construction of the inclined shelf which sustains the beveled-faced feeding-wheel, nor is it limited to the exact devices employed for rotating the latter wheel or for actuating the rounding-knife, so long as the actuating means is enabled to rise and fall as the carrier for the knife rises and falls, due to variations in thickness of the sole and welt being trimmed, for it will be understood that other devices differing in shape might be substituted for those shown by only the exercise of mechanicalskill rather than invention.

o do not limit ourselves to the knife having a reciprocating movement in an ellipsoidal path, as described, for a draw out can be obtained with a knife the holder of which is reciprocated between parallel guides.

If the machine is used on shoes which have no welt, what we have called the welt-feeding wheel would then becomea feed-wheel and act upon the surface of the outer sole next to the upper.

Having described our invention, What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for rounding soles on a last, the following instrumentalities, vizz-a welt feeder, means to support it; a feed wheel to support that part of the outer sole opposite the welt; means to actuate said devices to effect the feeding of the shoe; a rounding knife; its carrier; a support for said knife carrier; and connections between the support for the said carrier and the said welt feeder, whereby the said parts may rise and fall in unison with relation to said feed wheel according to variations in the thickness of the stock, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for rounding and channeling soles on a last, the following instrumentalities, viz:-a welt feeder, means to support it; a feed wheel to support that part of the outer sole opposite the welt; means to actuate said devices to effect the feeding of the shoe;

a rounding knife; its carrier; a support for said knife carrier; connections between the support for the said carrier and the said welt feeder, whereby the said parts may rise and fall in unison with relation to said'feed wheel according to variations in thickness of the stock; and a channeling knife to channel the outer sole near its edge, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for rounding and channeling soles on a last, the following instrumentalities, viz:a welt feeder, means to support it; a feed wheel to support that part of the outer sole opposite the welt; means to actuate said devices to effect the feeding of the shoe; a rounding knife; its carrier; a support for said knife carrier; connections between the support for-the said carrier and the said welt feeder, whereby the said parts may rise and fall in unison with relation to said feed wheel according to variations in thickness of the stock; a channeling knife to channel the outer sole near its edge; and devices to move said channeling knife laterally with relation to the said rounding knife according to the distance desired for the channel from the edge of the outer sole, substantially as described.

4. The carriage f shaft g carried thereby, a feed wheel on said shaft; means to rotate said shaft; a channel knife holder mounted on said carriage; anda channel knife;combined with a slide movable at right angles to said shaft 9; a shaft carried thereby; a rounding knife carrier movable with said slide and actuated by said shaft; and a rounding knife,

'to operate, substantially as described.

5. The carriage f shaft 9 carried thereby; a feed wheel on said shaft; means to rotate said shaft; a channel knife holder mounted on said carriage; and a channel knife; combined with a slide movable at right angles to said shaft g; a shaft carried thereby; a rounding knife carrier movable with said slide and actuated by said shaft; a rounding knife; and a shelf having a throat to receive the end of the rounding knife, substantially as described.

6. A slide; a rotatable shaft therein a rounding knife; a carrier for said knife; connections between said carrier and said shaft to reciprocate said carrier; a pulley mounted on said shaft, a second pulley movable with said slide, and a third pulley fixed independently of said slide; combined with a belt common to said three pulleys, whereby said belt may rotate the carrier actuating shaft notwithstanding changes of position of said slide, substantially as described.

7. A feed wheel to support an outer sole of a lasted shoe; a welt feeding wheel to bear on the welt of said shoe opposite said feed wheel; a support for said welt feeding wheel; a movable slide; a carrier; a rounding knife attached to said carrier; a shaft located in said slide and adapted to reciprocate said carrier and rounding knife, combined with a link to connect the said slide with the support for the said welt feeding wheel, substantially as described.

8. A feed wheel to support the outer sole of a lasted shoe; a welt feeding wheel to bear on the welt; a shelf located within said welt feeding wheel and bearing on said welt near its outer edge and provided with a throat; combined with a rounding knife, and means to reciprocate the same to trim elf the edges of said sole and welt, the said shelf acting to keep the welt down closely against the sole while both are being simultaneously trimmed, substantially as described.

9. A feed wheel to support the outer sole of a lasted shoe; a welt feeding wheel to bear on the welt; a shelf located within said welt feeding wheel, and bearing on said welt near its outer edge and provided with a throat; combined with a rounding knife and means to reciprocate the same to trim off the edges of said sole and welt, the said shelf acting to keep the welt down closely against the sole while both are being simultaneouslytrimmed; and with a channel knife, and a support therefor, substantially as described.

10. The welt feeding wheel provided at its under side near its center with a bevel gear 0; combined with a shelf to support said wheel at its underside, said shelf having a central opening down through which said bevel gear is extended, and an arm to bear on the upper side of said wheel and keep it on the said shelf, substantially as described.

11. The welt feeding wheel having an annular chamber at its lower side and provided at said side with a bevel gear 6; a shelf having a central Opening to receive said bevel gear and shaped to enter said annular chamber and sustain said welt feeding wheel; combined with an arm D secured to the machine to bear upon the opposite side of said welt feeding wheel and keep it seated on said shelf, substantially as described.

12. A feed wheel to support an outer sole of a lasted shoe; a rounding knife; actuating devices therefor; an inclined shelf having a central opening; and a welt feeding wheel mounted thereon and provided at its under side near its center with a gear 0 extended through said shelf; and an arm to bear on the upper side of said wheel and keep it on said shelf, combined with a shaft, and a gear thereon to engage the gear 6 of said welt feeding wheel and rotate the same, the inclined position of said shelf affording free space under the center of said welt feeding wheel for the movement of the sole being rounded, substantially as described.

13. A rounding knife to round the sole of a lasted shoe, a feed wheel to support the sole under the welt and in line with the portion of the sole being channeled; a beveled faced welt engaging and feeding wheel having connected directly to its underside near its center a bevel pinion; an inclined open centered shelf to sustain said welt-engaging wheel; an arm to bear on the welt engaging wheel to retain it on the shelf, combined with gearing in engagement with and to rotate both the said feed wheel and the said welt engaging wheel positively, substantially as described.

14. In a machine of the character described, a channel knife to channel the sole of a lasted shoe, and a rotatable support for the outer sole adjacent to the channel-knife, said knife overlapping said support, combined with a rotatable bevel faced welt-feeding wheel, and a rounding knife and means to move it, substantially as described.

15. A feed wheel to support the sole of a lasted shoe, and a channel-knife having its cutting edge extended over said feed wheel, combined with a bevel faced toothed weltfeeding wheel, and gearing to rotate said wheels positively, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ZACIIARY T. FRENCH. WILLIAM G. MEYER. Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, LAURA 'l. MANIX. 

